A ‘FAILING’ in school safeguarding systems left teenage girls open to the advances of a ‘predatory’ Bromsgrove paedophile, an upset parent has claimed.

IT technician Nathan Stanley, 22, was jailed last week for four years and will remain on a sex offenders’ register for life after pleading guilty to six charges of child-related sexual offences.

Stanley, who worked at a Worcestershire school, accessed data of former pupils and groomed the girls he targeted.

The Advertiser is not naming the school involved in order to protect the anonymity of Stanley’s victims.

Education bosses have insisted ‘robust safeguarding systems’ are in place and are ‘regularly reviewed’ across the county’s schools.

A parent of a child who attended the school concerned said: “I do wonder how this guy was able to get information from the school which he used to track these girls.

“IT staff are not supposed to be able to access information about children so there was a failing there.

“He was able to tell the girls that he knew things about their personal and family life.”

Stanley pleaded guilty to having full consensual sex with two underage girls, one of them 14 and the other aged 15, as well as trying to get a third to send him naked pictures of herself.

Stanley was aged 18 and 19 when the offences took place but lied about his age to the victims, claiming he was 17 and even telling one: “I’m not a paedophile.”

West Mercia Police said he ‘targeted children using fake profiles on social media’ and the judge who passed sentence on Stanley said the case was a prime example of the online dangers children face.

An NSPCC spokesperson said: “It is sickening how Stanley targeted children on social media, with a view to groom and sexually abuse them.

“The devastating impact of sexual abuse can ruin childhoods and last a lifetime and we hope that each victim will receive all of the help and support they need to move forward with their lives.

“It is vital that tech companies are forced to protect young people on their platforms – with tough consequences if they fail to do so.

“The NSPCC is calling on the Government to commit to an Online Harms Bill that puts a legal Duty of Care on big tech to keep children safe online."

The Advertiser approached Worcestershire Children First, the organisation responsible for the delivery of services to children and young people across Worcestershire, for comment.

A spokesperson for Worcestershire Children First, said: “All cases when referred to the Local Authority Designated Officer are dealt with as quickly as possible and in accordance with the appropriate safeguarding procedures.

“Our Education Adviser for Safeguarding works closely with the Designated Safeguarding Leads at all of our schools to ensure robust safeguarding systems are in place and that they are regularly reviewed to keep children and young people safe.”

Anyone who is concerned about a child can contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000. Children and young people can call Childline on 0800 1111 or get help online via www.childline.org.uk